Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-02-02

with ilo absorption e.. "reminiscences. II
was nigh onto sixteen when / married Ike
AMI Ike he was somewhat round twenty.
i hadn't boon cdlculatin to marry Ike Hey
war;; WANT lookin' 10 aoweek aforchand
I'd had il fixed up with 'Rastus Carter for
a consid'able SPELL; we'd BOT the day sat,
and 'ltnstus. he'll spoke 10 tho preacher.
don't know as | recollect ,st what spilled
il; Rastus, he nared up at somethin' er
mother; consid'able techy. 'Rastus was
sandy-topped frsckly folks most gem
Hit. Frightening the bowl of her pipe with
a puff or two. And Ike Hey he
stepped in, and we was fined.
"Livod with his folks, Ike did; l dom
knowes / should n bad no trouble with
Ike Of 1t hadn't been for that. Had the
wing, Ike and me, and tho rest o. the house
was the ole folks's; but ole Mis- Hayward
was into that wing enough sight more'n
she was To hum, fuss N and pestorin' and
nosin' around. She'd come in afore break
fast, and set watchin' me gittin' it, and
tellin' as how l couldn't cook pork no
more'n cat, and didn't know no more
bout fryin' pancakes n did bout flyin';
and as how II WANT savin', and my
washin's looked ysller, and my soft soap
want half billed and she'd go round
cryin' bout Ike gettin' sech poor, shift
less piece. She was pesky ole creetur"
Mis- Hits spoke placidly. Hor long-ngo
grievances had developed with years into
impersonal facts.
'And Ike, he was Jest as chicken-heartod
as ever l soc; he WANT no more count N
a dish-rns lie didn't RELY know who to
side with; all he fig ycred on was TO git out
| o. the muss. He'd take his fish-pole and
go of and stay all day; oncet, when we'd
been havin' it pretty tough, his ma and
me, he staid Off week. Long and spind-
| lin Ike WINS, and saller;; alwus snortln'
round with cold, aud wheezin' up with
| asthmy and ailin'; twan't no moron L WAS
lookn' fer when he started in to cough
stiddy--there'd ben Heywards goin' of
| with consumption senco tho beginnin' o.
| time. Ike, hp went of sudden; but he
won't dretful hard. / never see no sech
| awful spells o. coughin' as he did have;
seems though he'd git ripped to pieces; and
| the way that creetur used to sweat nights
wal the sheets ID be wringin' wet"
The schoolmaster, listening with graft
fying interest, looked in vain for any
| softening of tho old woman's calmly nara
tive tone. The tragedy of fifty years ago
| had become q casual memory, interesting
only for its narrowing details.
"lIe was jest skin aud bone when he died;
| his arms WANT no bigger round IN broom
stick, and his cAesks was sunk in so 't it
fairly scairt we; he was dretful lookin'
| corpse" Mis- Hit turned her eyes upon
her listener in pleasurable anticipation OF
| the effect of these items. He was buried
| up in the old north buryin' lot--he was
took up afterward and put in tho new one
and l went hum agin. l was powerful
tell ye"
"Our most poignant sorrows have their
alleviating features" the schoolmaster OBJ
served.
Mis- Hit pulled at her pipe. The chirp-
ing Of frogs filled the pause.
you were induced to repeat the matri-
moniai experiment" said the ,ss school
II was a wilder fer six six months, +" Mis-
| Hit responded but could bca married
afore that ef I'd amin to. 'Rastus Carter
| he come round soon as Ike was put in under
| He'd scraped up enough to git place
pretty forehanded 'Rustus was-and he
was calculatin' to buy way up to the
Corners, clus to tho ole tannery. Why, l
| told him ef he was goin' to live round that
| al tannery want, and all the powers
| couldn't make me; the smell was fit to
knock ye down, jest about; and as to livin'
with it right under my nose-it made me
sick Us dog the idee ont 'Rastus, no
was mad as n hornet; he went Off a ram
| pagin', and 'twa'n't week aforo heerd
| he'd ben married Pauliny Wiswell. She
was gettin along, Pauliny was, and she
was terribly glad to git him.
"Wal, didn't lay out TO wait forever to
| git another man; but l VOW was clean sot
back when Elihu Wilder came aidgin'
round. Ole bach'ler, Elihu was; must "a
ben nigh onto forty. He'd ben livin by
himself for long spoil, over in the boiler;
| / hadn't never seen him more'n oncet OF
| twicet declar didn't know but l was
| gettin' loony and seein' sperrits when he
come nippin' in. Want much higher'n a
| yard stick, Elihu wa'nt-seemod to ben
stunted; and he was so kind o. dried up
| thar didn't look to be nothin' to him.
| wal eff I'd a-knew what twas keepin'
house for n bach'ler | wouldn't never
undertook it, Fussiest, narvousest little
| creetur l ever come within forty mile OF,
| Elihu Wilder was. He'd lived thar by him
| self till he'd got as notional as witch; he
| WANT no ways used to folks, and come to
the pint, he didn't rcely know how to stan
| it havin' me thar. l guess he'd a. give
considerable to git unhitched agin, and
wouldn't "a held off, nuther.
at was sight to behold, that ar house
o. hisn. Thar hadn't been hammer
teched to il sence twas put up, and o. all
the tarnal old holes. The front steps was
all rotted away. There want hull
winder in the house, AMI the ruff o. the
keepin'-room leaked like a sieve. Elihu,
he wouldn't hcar to fixin' it up--tight as
the bark OF a tree, Elihu was. With all my
naggin', he wouldn't do nothin' but put an
old sawhorse by the front door, place o.
stops, and board up some o. the winders
He'd ben strung up sooner'n git
shingles for that ruf. Used to set
tubs in thar when it rained and ketch water
fer washin'; said twas handy. Bout as
close listed as l ever come acrost, Elibu
Wilder was. And what with his bein' so
notional, don't know how stood him as
long as / did. He was wuss'n any old
woman ever see. Had the forenoon all
crammed full OF sight o. ole truck he'd
knows what fer-dried yerbs and ole tin
pans and pieces o. rope and wagon wheels
| and legs % bedstsads; and he wouldn't hear
to havin' 'em clerred out; wouldn't have
| 'cm teched. He was sot in his ways as ever
| a bein' was created-jest. Went to bed at
eight o'clock, year in and year out, and got
| up at four to the tick, and half-past four of
| a Sunday; and all the saints could't made
| a minutes odds. Ef thar was anybody
thar when the clock pointed to eight he
| hum. Ef the heavens had "a fell 'twouldn't
| "a stirred him out o. his tracks. IF I'd "a
| knew what twas livin' with a bach'ler. l
reckon I'd a steered clear % Elihu Wilder
oval" Mis- Hit pursued, with greater
tranquility Of tone, "he didn't live but
| three year, Elihu didn't He was took off
with dropsy, fer oil, he'd never looked to
| have pint % blood in him. Wouldn't git
| no doctor ner have nothin' done fer him.
he jest stepped up them ole verbs o. hisn
in % 'em. Wouldn't give up till the last
minute; then he did give in to lettin' the
doctor tap him. Thar was most n gallon
took out o. him. Ho WANT a natural-look-
in corpse; he was swelled up so you
| wouldn't "a knew him"
| Mis- Hit leaned over to drop the ashes
of her pipe on the ground outside. Then
| she got up and filed it from q saucer in
the cupboard, lighted it by means of
match and the lamp chimney, and sat
| down, recrossing her knees
| "Did Mr.. Carter reappearw asked the
schoolmaster.
"Rastus Carter, he'd went west a spell
back. Pauliny Wiswell, she'd died o. the
fever-'twa'nt no wonder nuther, livin'
| so clus up to that ar tannery-and 'Rastus
| he'd picked up and went off to Injiany. 1t
come back that he's got married agin out
| thar"
"And you followed his examplei" said
| the schoolmaster.
"Yes; took up with Hit for the next
one. Hit, he hadn't been livin' round
here a greet while; but declar might %
knew what he was by his courtn'; he was
hangin' round sich an everlastin' time
shouldn't never got shet on him.
! wal" said Mis- Hit, musingly, thar